Gemotions

The news landed like a lead balloon. The scholarship, the lifeline that had kept her afloat, was a mistake. Her heart felt as though it had been physically wrenched from her chest. She pictured the deserving student, their hopes dashed by the university's error. She felt a profound sense of responsibility, of burden.

She spent the next few days in a daze, the details of the situation replaying in her mind. Her sleep was restless, filled with nightmares of shattered dreams. Her appetite vanished. She felt sick with guilt. She knew that the person, whose scholarship she had unknowingly usurped, was probably just like her.

She had to do something. She started to reach out to different charities and organizations, asking for advice. She also began writing a letter to the university. She wrote it over and over again, crafting it until it felt right. She wanted to help make amends.